Akzo Nobel, headquartered in the Netherlands, is one of the world's leading companies in selected areas of healthcare products, coatings, chemical, and fibers. More than 70,000 people in over 50 countries make up the Akzo Nobel work force. The Company also makes paints, stains, synthetic resins, ethical and nonprescription drugs, hospital related supplies and several other products.

Looking at a few key industries, such as chemical manufacturing, one can usually summarize the strength of a nationís economy. So many industries rely on the raw products of these companies. Fuel additives and detergents are probably the most common encounter we have with products from these firms. They also produce pharmaceuticals, polymers, resins, monomers, plastics, agricultural chemicals, and industrial gases. Just a few of the industries that use these items are aerospace, beverage, electronic, food processing, automotive, and construction.